Apparatus for separating and collecting dust



y 1930- JQWHITMORE 1,760,617

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING DUST Original FiledApril 50, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jim/v m/rm ORE,

y 7, 1930- J. WHITMORE 1 AP AfiATus FOR SEPARATING AND COLLECTING DUST Original Fild April 50, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEINT'OR ATTORNEY:

J. WHlTMORE APPARATUS FOR 'SEPARATING AND COLLECTING DUST May 27, 1930.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed April 30, 1924 Patented Ma 21, 1930 UNITED STATES, PATENT oFrIcE JOHN WHITMOBE, or namms'r, mnnmn, assmnon r navmson a COMPANY Lm- I'I'ED, or BELFAST, IRELAND APPARATUS ron snreaarine am) coLLEcrmo'nUsr Original application This invention relates to apparatus for separating and collecting dust in connection with industrial processes, calcining, and heating furnaces, boiler power plants and the like, and has for its object to provide an improved method and apparatus of this kind to recover or collect dust either because of its value, or in order to prevent the pollution of the atmosphere.

The apparatus for carrying out the imroved method is more particularly designed or use in conjunction with draught or velocity producing devices, such as a fan or the like, either of the centrifugal or propeller type, but in some cases the draught may be reduced by any other means, for example, y a column of hot air or-gas in a chimney. The operation is as follows Dustladen air or gas is caused to rotate rapidly in the vortex or separating chamber and, as a result of the centrifugal action set up, the dust,

owing to its greater specific gravity coma pared with that of the air or gas, is thrown outwards and rotates in close contact with the periphery of the vortex chamber whence it passes, to ether with a small quantity of air or gas, t rough a tangential passage arranged in the periphery of the vortex chamber into a dust collector or separator, for ex ample; of the type described in British Patent No. 196,537, or to a settlingchamber. The air or gas 'which has been rendered free of dust passes through a circular outlet arranged in the centre of the vortex chamber, or somewhat eccentric thereto, and projecting into a the chamber any required distance. 7

Various arrangements in accordance with the invention are illustrated as examples in the accompanying diagrammatic drawlngs,

in which Fig. 1 shows one arrangement in side and endviews partly sectional, of a volute vortex chamber and a suction fan exhausting therefrom;

Fig. 1A shows a modification of the part arrangement shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate modifications of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 comprising a side and a broken end view;

filed April 80, 1924, Serial No. 710,106, and in Great Britain January 28, 1924. Divided. and this application filed December 26, 1924. Serial No. 758,111.

Fig. 4 illustrates an arrangement of vanes 1n the outlet from the vortex chamber;

Fig. 5 shows in end and side views a second arrangement including a volute vortex chambe: and a centrifugal fan discharging therein o; a

Fig. 6 illustrates in end and side views a rfinodiication of the arrangement 'shown in- Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate in side and axial vlews means which may be employed for impartmg a whirling motion to the dust-laden. air or gas admitted to the vortex chamber;

Fig. 9 illustrates in side and axial views a second modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 illustrates in end and side views an arrangement including a volute ,vortex chamber and a propeller fan exhausting therefrom;

Fig. 11 shows in side and plan views a modified arrangement in which the vortex chamber is arranged at right angles to the fanshaft;

Fig. 12 shows in side and plan views a further modification in accordance with the present invention,-in which the fan is arranged to exhaust from the chimney ata point above the vortex chamber. j

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a rotary fan mounted upon a horizontal shaft is shown herein connected, in accordance with the invention, to a dustcollector or separator in the form of a volute or spiral. casing. The fan casing is shown at 1, enclosing the rotor 2 which is keyed upon the end of'thxe horizont'al shaft 3; for driving the shaft 3 any convenient source of power may be, utilized. On the suction side of the fan a cylindrical passage 4 is arranged coaxially with the shaft 3 and rotor 2, while the casing 1 1s provided with a tangential discharge outlet 5. The cylindrical passage 4: constitutes an inlet to the rotor 2 of the fan and at the same time an outlet from the volute casing 6 into which the dust-laden air is caused to flow by way of the tangential inlet 11 formed by the diflerence between the largest and smallest radii of the volute, as shown in Fig.

1. The said volute casing 6 constitutes the vortex or separating chamber and the said outlet passage 4 therefrom may project into the said chamber to any desired extent. lip 7 formin atangential passage with the periphery o the chamber 6 is arranged at any desired and suitable oint in the periphery of the said cham r and this ip communicates with a pocket 8 connected by a pipe to a small dust co1lector9, which is preferably of the kind described in British atent No. 196,537. The outlet pipe 10 for purified air or gas from the said small dust collector 9 may be led to the fan inlet 4 and be connected tangentially thereto as shown in Fig. 1. Alternatively the outlet ipe 10 may be arranged coaxially with the an inlet as indicated in Figure 1A; in this case the said pipe 10 passes through the side of the vortex chamber 6 parallel with the axis of same, the outlet end being arran ed to face towards the fan wheel 2. The ust outlet from the collector 9 is connected to a suitable dust receiver not shown.

In operation the action of the fan draws the dust-laden air into the tangential inlet 11 of the vortex chamber 6 and the said cur rent of air and dust is given a whirling motion within the said chamber by the forma tion of the latter. 'As a result of the centrifugal action the dust is thrown outwards, and rotates in close contact with the periphery of the vortex chamber 6 and is caught by the lip 7 and diverted, together with a small quantity of air or gas, through the pocket 8 into the dust collector 9. The purified current/of air is exhausted axially from the vortex chamber 6 throu h the passage 4 and through the rotor 2 of the fan and is finally exhausted at the outlet 5 of the fan, while the air or gas separated in the small dust collector 9 is passed through the pipe 10 into the passage 4 where it joins the main current of purified air or gas ejected by the fan. I

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the vortex chamber 13 is given a circular instead ofv a voluteform and the inlet 11 for the dustladen air is arranged coaxially with the said chamber, while the necessary whirling motion is imparted to the current of dust-laden air or gas by means of stationary vanes 12 arranged in such a manner near the internal periphery of the chamber 13 that the said current is forced to pass between the said vanes in order to enter the chamber. The exit passage 4 and the fan, also the lip 7, ocket 8, dust collector 9, and pipe 10 may e arby the fan 2 enters t e inlet 4 and is discharged through the fan outlet 5.

Fig. 4 illustrates an arrangement of stationary vanes 15 situated in the exit passage 4, from the vortex or whirling chamber for the purpose of rectifying the flow of air or gas after same has been rendered free of dust,

or in other words to produce a change of direction in the flow and cause same to follow a path parallel to the axis of the exit passage 4, 1n order to reduce resistance. These vanes are shown arranged in the form of a cone or pyramid, the apex of which coincides with the axis of exit passage 4, and the inclined edges of said vanes 15 are curved in such a manner that the air or gas may flow over same without shock. The arrangement now described'may be applied to any of the forms illustrated, although an alternative method is referred to subsequently-in connection with Figs. 5 and 11.

Referring to Fig. 5 the vortex chamber 6 is of volute form but the inlet 11 theretois directly connected to the discharge side 5 of the fan. The necessar whirling motion is imparted to the dust-la en airor gas by blowing the same into the volute chamber 6 and the separation of the dust takes place as described above by means of a lip 7 and pocket 8, connected to a small dust collector 9, while the purified airor gas is'forced through a passage 16 into the contrary volute 17 for the purpose of rectifying the. flow as before descri ed; the outlet from said volute 17 is connected to chimney 18 as shown. The outlet for the purified air or gas from the small dust collector 9 is connected to the chimney 18 by means of a pipe 19.

Fig. 6 illustrates an arrangement in which the whirling motion is imparted to the dustladen air or gas by means of a helix 21, arranged in a .easing 22, one end of said casing being attached to the outlet or discharge of fan 1, while at the opposite end is shown an enlarged portion of combined and volute construction axially mounted on casing 22. The volute as indicated terminates in an outlet connected to the inlet of the small collector 9, the outlet from the volute thus forming the tangential dust outlet.

An alternative arrangement is shown in Fig. 7 and in this case the vortex chamber 20 may be truly circular instead of compositely comprising a circular portion and a volute portion as indicated in the previous figure.

The tangential dust outlet is shown at 7 and the pocket at 8, the latter being arranged for couplin to the inlet of the small collector as before escribed.

sages I end 0 the circular inlet. An arrangement of rectifying vanes 1s shown at for converting the whirling motion of the gases into a linear motion, with the object of reducing resistance, while the dust together with some air is removed through the tangential dust outlet, and passes into the small collector, as already set forth. a

Figure 9 illustrates a further modification of. the arrangement shown in Figure 5, the discharge of the fan being connected to the axial inlet 11 which is fitted with a set of stationary vanes 24, the ends of said vanes nearest the vbrtex chamber 13 being arranged at an angle to the direction of flow of the current of dust laden air, "in order to produce whirl in the vortex chamber 13. The tangential dust outlet is arranged in the periphery of the vortex chamber as usual, and the'purified air outlet is concentric with the vortex chamber 13, consequently the apparatus after the dust-laden air is caused to whirl, functions in exactly the same manner as before described.

Figure 10 indicates a volute shaped vortex chamber having afan rotor '25 mounted on the shaft 3 arranged coaxially within the outlet passage 4, the blades of the rotor and the direction of rotation of the shaft being arranged and determined so as to cause a draftthrough the inlet 11, the whirl being imparted to the gases by the curved periphery of the vortex chamber 6; the dust together with some air is tangentially removed by lip 7 into pocket 8 and from thence to the small collector 9 as indicated in Figure 1, the travel of the dust laden gases in Figure 1 and Figure 10 being similar in every respect.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 11 the volute shaped vortex chamber 6 is arranged horizontally while the suction side of the fan is connected to the outlet of a further volute casing 26, similar to that shown at 17 in Figure 5, provided with a connecting pipe 27 projecting downwards through According 'to the arrangement shown in Fig. 12, the fan 28 is arranged to exhaust from the chimne 18 and to discharge into same again at a higher level through duct 17.

A damper 29' isfitted in the chimney and 00- cupies a position between the inlet and outletof the fan in order to prevent the air or gas from the fanoutlet duct 17 passing downwards to the inlet. It will be understood that when the damper 2 9 is in the position shown the dust-laden air or gas is drawn through the inlet 11 tangentially to the vortex chamber 6, the dustbeing separated by lip 7 and pocket 8 as before descr bed, and the cleansed air or gas passes upwards through the lower end of the chimney which projects into the vortex chamber and from thence into the fan inlet of the by-pass flue 30, so that the collecting apparatus is short circuited. Under these circumstances, of course, it will be under stood that no whirling action and no dust.

separation takes place. When the a paratus is in operation, the by-pass 30 is c osed by means of a damper or the like, not shown, so thatthe dust-laden air or gas must perforce enter the vortex chamber 6 through the tangential inlet 11 in order to acquire the necessary whirl or rotation, as already described.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for separating and collectingv dust from a-dust-laden gaseous current, comprising in combination a primary separating chamber for-the ntritug'al treatment of the dust-laden current, an inlet therein for the said current, means for imparting a vertical motion to the current on enterin the primary separating chamber, a tangentia ly projectin outlet from the primary separating chamber for the separated dust and a portion of the gaseous current, a secondary separating chamber adapted to finally separate and collect the dust from'the said portion of the gaseous current,a tangential inlet thereto, a duct connecting the tangential outlet from the primary separating chamber to'the tangential inlet to the secondary chamber, an axial outlet from the primary separating chamber for the main portion of the gaseous current after the separation of the dust-therefrom, and a rotary fan connected so as to cause the dust-laden current to fiowatthe required velocity through the inlet and the purified current through the axial outlet or the primary separating chamber.

2. Apparatus for separating and collecting dust from a dust-laden gaseous current and again enters the chimney by way of duct- 1 comprising in combination a volute shaped primary separating chamber for the centrifugal treatment of the dust-laden current, a

to an inwardly projecting lip, forming with the t-ial inlet thereto for the said current,

peripheigof the separating chamber, a tanntial mm the primar separating chamber for the main portion the gaseous current, after the separation of the dust therefrom, a rotary fan, connected so as to cause the dust-laden current to flow at the required velocity through the inlet and the purified current through the axial outlet of the primary separating chamber, a secondary separating chamber having a tangential inlet permanently connected to the tangential dust and air outlecting chamber connected to sai collecting means for the final collection of the dust, an outlet from the primary se arating chamber, and an outlet connected t ereto and to the secondary collecting chamber, and means for causing the dust-laden air to enter the rimary collecting chamber and the dust iiee air'to be discharged through the primary collectin chamber outlet.

4. l n a dust collector, the combination of a primary vortical dust collecting chamber having an inlet for air and dust arranged tangentially thereof with an air outlet arranged at right angles to'the main plane of said chamber, means to induce the entrance of the air and dust to the primary chamber and to induce the exist of dust free air therefrom, a secondary dust collecting chamber, means connected thereto. and to the.primary chamber for removing the dust and aportion of the air from the primary chamber to the secondary chamber, and means for conveying the air from the secondary chamber into the outlet of the dust free air of the primary chamber.

5. In a dust collector, the combination of a primary vortical dust collecting chamber having an inletfor air and dust arranged tangentially thereof with an air outlet arranged at right angles to the main plane of said chamber, means to induce the entrance of'theair and dust to the primary chamber and to induce'the exist of dust free air therefrom, a secondary dust collectin chamber, means connected thereto and to t eprimary ust and air outlet, an axialoutlet.

chamber for removing the dust and a portion secondary chamber, and means for conveying the air from the secondary chamber into the outlet of the dust free air of the primary chamber, said means for removing the dust and a portion of the air from the primary of the air from the primary chamber to the I chamber being so arranged as to tangentialposed clean air outlet located at right angles thereto, a rotor chamber connected thereto parallel to the primary collecting chamber aving a tangentially-disposed clean air outlet, a rotor therein, a relatively small secondary dust collecting chamber, a tangentiallydisposed means for collecting dust and a portion of the air from the primary chamber to deliver it to the secondary chamber, and a clean air outlet from the secondar chamber connected into the clean air out et of the primary chamber.

7 In a dust collecting apparatus, the combination of a relatively shallow vortical dust removing chamber havin a tangential ly-disposed inlet for air and ust, a depending dust receiving chamber of narrowing diameter and.a vertically-disposed, central ly-located, dust free, air receiving passageway. a

8. In a dust collecting apparatus, the combination of a relatively shallow vortical dust removing chamber having a tangentially-disposed inlet for air and dust, a depending dust receiving chamber of narrowing diameter and a vertically-disposed, centrally-located, dust free air receiving passageway, and means to induce the exit of air through the dust free air passageway while the dust removed therefrom falls in thedust receiving chamber by gravity.

9. Apparatus for separating and collecting dust from a dust-laden gaseous current, comprising in combination a volute-shaped primary separating chamber permitting of repeated revolution therein ,of the said current for the centrifugal treatment of the same, a tangential inlet thereto for the said current, an inwardly projecting lip forming with the periphery of the separating chamber a'tangential dust and air outlet, an axial outlet from the primary separating chamber for the main portion of-the ascous current, after the se aration of the ust therefrom, a rotary an connected so as to cause the dustladen current to, flow at the required velocity throughthe inlet and the urified current through the axial outlet of t e primary separating chamber, a secondary separating chamber having a tangential inlet permanently connected to the tangential dust and air outlet from the primary separating chamsecondary separating chamber connected to a suitable receptacle for the dust.

, 10. In a dust-separating apparatus, the combination with a horizontally, arranged primary separating chamber, of a tangential inlet thereto for the dust-laden gaseous current, a tangential outlet therefrom for the separated dust, an axial outlet from the said brimary separating chamber. for' the main f portion of the gaseous current after the separation of the dust therefrom, a horizontally arranged fan co-axial with saidprimary separating chamber, a pipe connection from the said axial outlet from the primary separating chamber to the eye of the said fan, a tangential outlet from the fan casing for the purified gas, a vertically arranged secondary separating chamber, a tangential inlet thereto for the separated dust and a portion of the gas escapingfrom the primaryseparating chamber, a vertically directed axial outlet for the purified gas, a connection therefrom to the side of the primary separating chamber opposite to that in which the axial outlet is placed, and means for collecting the gust from said, secondary separating cham- 11. Apparatus for separating and collecting dust rom a dust-laden gaseous current, comprising in combination a volute-shaped,

primary separating chamber with its axis horizontally arranged, a tangential inlet thereto for the dust-laden current, a tangential outlet for dust and air from said primary separating chamber arranged so that the dust-laden current must make at least approximately one revolution in the separating chamber before reaching said outlet, a volute-shaped fan casing with its axis horizontally arranged and coaxial with the primary separating chamber, a tangential air outlet therefrom,'a fan rotor mounted in said casing with its shaft coaxial therewith, a cylindrical passage coaxial with the primary separating chamber and the fan casing and leading from the central part of the former to the fan rotor, an opening in the wall of said passage, a volute-shaped secondary separating chamber with its axis vertically arranged, a tangential inlet thereto for dust and air, a duct connecting the tangential outlet from the primary separating chamber to the tangential inlet of the secondary separatingchamber, a vertically directed outlet for dust-freed air arranged co-axially with the secondary separating chamber, a duct connecting the said air outlet to the opening in the wall of the said cylindrical passage,

a dust collector arranged beneath the sec- 1 I ondary separating chamber, and means for collecting the dust therefrom; p a

12. In a dust-separating apparatus the combination with a horizontally arranged thereto for the dust-laden gaseous current, a tangential outlet therefrom for the separated dust, an axial outlet from the said separating chamber for the main portion of the gaseous current after the separation of the dust therefrom, a horizontally arranged fan casing parallel with the separating chamber, the eye said purified current.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN WHITMORE.

70 separating chamber, of a tangentlal inlet 

